The glow of what the Fayetteville-Manlius girls soccer team accomplished in 2018 would not get dimmed, regardless of what happened in the state Class AA playoffs.
By knocking off the defending Section III and state champions from Baldwinsville on Oct. 27, the Hornets broke a 22-year sectional championship drought and secured a permanent legacy.
Anything that followed was a nice bonus, but F-M still harbored state championship dreams as it ventured to Fulton last Saturday to face Section II champion Bethlehem in the Class AA regional final.
Ultimately, the Eagles proved too tough, surviving wind, rain and other forms of cold precipitation to end F-M’s dream season by a score of 2-0.
The challenge for the Hornets was twofold, not just moving on from the emotional high of the sectional final, but also dealing with a skilled Bethlehem side that had knocked off Baldwinsville 4-1 late in August.
Through the game’s first half-hour, F-M’s defense, led by Laura Bonomo, Katy Krueger, Elena Paolini, and Sophia TenEyck, contained the Eagles, and goalkeeper Sabrina Suriani made plenty of important stops.
However, in the 30th minute, Bethlehem went in front with a precise strike as, from 30 yards out, Grace Hotaling delivered a precise shot that eluded Suriani and found the net.
It was still 1-0 going into the second half, but early in that frame the Eagles got the cushion it wanted thanks to Brianna Price’s goal, and it never let the Hornets respond as Bethlehem advanced to this weekend’s state final four in the Cortland-Homer area.
F-M’s season concluded at 14-4-1, and eight seniors depart, including Siriani, Krueger, Paolini, Rachel Dobricki (who scored the game-winner in the sectional final against B’ville) and Ashley Carter.
However, a strong group should return in 2019, from top scorers Anna Hartzheim and Hannah Knych to Bonomo and TenEyck on the back line, plus the likes of Chloe Hodge and Haley Ingram.
